Wow – February has been a busy month! Highlights for me have to include our first ever joint event with the IOD’s Young Directors Forum – “Dressed for Success” at Harvey Nichols. Not only did we get some fabulous fashion tips to help make the perfect first impression, but we also got the chance to network with some of the region’s most dynamic young directors. If you missed the event, why not listen to the highlights via the podcast here courtesy of the b1gidea and Birmingham City University. You can also check out our other Podcasts via www.b1gidea.co.uk – you may even feature in one of them! The other highlight of the month has to be the Birmingham Future Fire and Ice Ball! What a blast! I am looking forward to seeing all those incriminating photos! Huge thanks to the organising team and to all of you for coming and making the night such a huge success. My heartfelt thanks to all who helped raise £1,500 for St Mary’s Hospice in the charity raffle. As ever, please feel free to email me with your thoughts and ideas to help make Birmingham Future the best it can be. Contact me via alex.bishop@shoosmiths.co.uk
Best Wishes Alex Bishop Chairman
News & Events
BYPY 2008 - Last chance to be the next BYPY!
The nominations deadline for this year’s Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards is drawing perilously close; you have until March 3rd to nominate yourself or a colleague for one of the six awards on offer, so what are you waiting for?
If we’ve still not convinced you to get involved, just look at some of the previous BYPY winners. They’ve all gone on to forge successful careers in the Birmingham business community, and the accolade not only bestows huge personal kudos, but it looks great for your employer too.
Don’t miss out on getting involved with one of the biggest and best awards nights on Birmingham’s business calendar. Simply fill in the form, make sure you’re free for the Judging Day on March 20th, and of course the awards themselves on May 22nd, and you’re laughing…
The nomination process is easy – simply visit www.birminghamyoungprofessional.co.uk now and download a form, or contact the Birmingham Future office on 0121 632 2200.
And don’t forget to send through your nominations for the Inspiring Leader award as well!
The Membership Team make the most of City’s benefits…
The Membership Team has been actively approaching local businesses to expand upon the benefits already available exclusively to Birmingham Future members. We are pleased to confirm that there are several exciting new benefits which will be introduced and we would suggest you regularly check the website here for updated details.
Recently added benefits include:
- 50% off the joining fee at the Priory Tennis Club Edgbaston
- 20% off green fees at Edgbaston Golf Club
- 20% off at Must – Dim Sum Bar & Restaurant
- 20% off at Asha's
- 2 for 1 on seats at Electric Cinema (Monday to Thursday)
- 50% off mortgage services with Jobson James
- 10% off CBSO tickets, 20% off standard pass, 20% off standard plus pass, 10% off prestige pass with 'Birmingham Airport Priority Pass'.
Your 2008 cards will be in the post soon!
Annual Ball
Fire and Ice and all things nice – Birmingham Future’s Annual Ball took place on Friday 22nd February and proved a massive success with more than 280 Future members and guests attending the glitzy bash at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens.
Many thanks to all our sponsors especially our main sponsor, Advantage West Midlands for their support. It seemed that everyone at the event truly enjoyed themselves, with the Chair’s charity raffle raising £1,500 for Birmingham’s St Mary’s Hospice, an ice sculpture that turned into a Vodka luge and Heart FM’S Club Classics set providing classic disco moments on the dance floor. There must surely be many embarrassing photographs circulating offices this week… Remember to send any superb shots to Birmingham Future for us to include in future E-bulletins - in the meantime click here to view some images we have uploaded!
A review of recent Future events...
Birmingham Future members were invited to Kick start the New Year with a "new you” at our first joint event with the Young Directors Forum "Dressed for Success" event held at Harvey Nichols. Members were greeted with a champagne reception and samples of the fabulous food on offer in the Harvey Nichols food hall. Advice on skincare and tips on dressing in todays business world were on offer by a panel of experts in the industry. Our very own Deputy Chairman, Matt Taylor and Imogen Noons (Events Committee Chair) were given a thorough dressing up during the evening (pictured) and were kitted out in the key looks for the coming season - don't they look lovely!
Over 80 members attended the Where to Buy in Birmingham? event. Back by popular demand, one of Birmingham’s best known estate agents, Stuart Flint from Knight Frank LLP, presented his views on popular places to settle in central and suburban Birmingham. The results... Harborne came in as the top destination closely followed by city centre living.
Zizzi Restaurant in the Mailbox played host to the first Meet & Mix Lunch of 2008. Guest speaker Nick Venning, Marketing Director of Global Industries at PricewaterhouseCoopers, enlightened members with his personal and professional experiences following winning the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) Inspiring Leader category 2007. Nick helped to kick off the 2008 BYPY awards season by encouraging members to get nominating!
Dates for your diary – Future’s future events
Breakfast Connections Thursday 6th March 2008 at the Botanical Gardens – Cost £22.00 + vat. Breakfast Connections remains one of Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Chamber’s most established networking events. Hosted this month by Diane Benussi, Chairman of Birmingham Forward, we are very pleased to introduce the Assay Master, Michael Allchin and the Curator Sally Baggott from the Birmingham Assay Office who will be giving guests an historicaltour of the Assay offices global reputation plus the opportunity to view some of our local jewellers work. For more information contact Isabel Drabble on 0121 632 2201 or by e-mail: Isabel@birminghamforward.co.uk
Speed Networking Thursday 6th March 2008 at The Vaults – Cost £20.00 + vat. For those who haven’t yet experienced Speed Networking, it works just like speed dating, but instead of finding a possible love interest you could walk away with a new business contact, or a few more friends and future contacts. For further information or to book a place contact Martina Fajksova on 0121 632 2201 or by e-mail to Martina@birminghamforward.co.uk
Birmingham Future Diversity ‘Come to work to be who you are’ on Thursday 27th March 2008 at Eversheds LLP 12noon – 2.00pm – Cost £15.00 + vat. We have 3 panel speakers Dr Steve Ball, Khembe Calrke and Graham Peter talking about their personal experiences of religion, disability and sexual orientation in the workplace. To engage in the debate and book your place please email Isabel here or call 0121 632 2200.
The Birmingham Insurance Institute Charity Run - Sunday 6th April
The Birmingham Insurance institute (BII) are organising a 5km and 10km Fun Run in Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham on Sunday 6th April. Local businesses and individuals are invited to 'take up the challenge' to raise funds for Acorns and Insurance Charities whilst getting fit in the process. Individual and team trophies will be awarded for each run. Further details are available from Jackie or Sharon at the BII office on 0121 665 6900 or from Robert Jinks on 01564 825039.
Entrepreneurial Leadership - Roger Hamilton speaks live at Aston Villa Football Club on Monday 10th March 2008
There are eight paths to wealth - not seven, not nine, not 56 - there are only eight. All great wealth has been created by people who have focused on the particular path that suits their natural character. These people have mastered the rules of their path and progressed with unwavering clarity and certainty.
Which one are you?
If there truly are 8 paths, which way is right for you? What strategies should you focus on and what should you avoid? Who should you role model? What types of people can most help you succeed? Who should be on your team & who should be off it? To be a Great Entrepreneur you need to lead like a Great Entrepreneur. You need the clarity to know what opportunities are for you and what you should leave on the table. Roger Hamilton delivers that clarity at this event:
- Discover the 8 entrepreneurial leadership styles
- Discover the universal law that EVERY great entrepreneur has employed (and it’s not what you might be thinking).
- Find out why Entrepreneurs don’t work
- Learn who YOU (personally) should be reading about and learning from – and who not to.
- Find out who you need to have on your core entrepreneurial team.
For further information about this event and to reserve your free place please click here.
Little things... big difference!
ACTION 50 – Learn first aid – It takes 50 hours to learn how to drive but only two to learn how to save a life. It can take just four minutes for someone with a blocked airway to die, but eight minutes for an ambulance crew to arrive. Your two-hour training would show you how to save that life immediately. Statistics show that the person you help is unlikely to be a stranger, they’re more likely to be a friend or relative. Both St John Ambulance (www.sja.co.uk) and The Red Cross (www.redcross.org.uk) have essential skill courses.
ACTION 53 -Calculate your carbon footprint - If you click here, you can calculate how much carbon you emit while traveling to and from work. Then - on the same site - they'll tell you how you can erase that carbon footprint, easily. This applies to companies as well as individuals. HSBC was the first bank to go 'carbon neutral' and BSkyB, the first media company. How does that make you feel about those two companies? Let's face it. We all leave a mess behind us. The difference is mature people clear it up afterwards.
Birmingham... did you know?
Alec Issigonis was one of the most colourful car designers of modern times. He went on to design the world famous, Birmingham-made 'Mini', which started production in 1959 at Longbridge, Birmingham and is still in production today.
Birmingham's international Partner Cities include Chicago (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Johannesburg (South Africa), Leipzig (Germany), Lyon (France) and Milan (Italy).
New members...
The Membership Committee would like to extend a warm welcome to all our 13 new members who have joined us so far in February!
We are pleased to offer a membership benefits card and membership pack to all our Birmingham Future members. Details of the participating companies in the scheme are available on the website here. The membership cards will be posted out very soon so look out for those when they arrive on your desks!
Birmingham Future, One Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BD
Telephone: +44 (0)121 632 2200 Fax: +44 (0)121 632 2201
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